WILLIAM OF VAUROUILLON

Franciscan philosopher and theologian; b. Vauruellan (variants: de Valle Ruillonis, Vorillon, etc.) near Dinant, c. 1390; d. Rome, Jan. 22, 1463; some lists identify William as Doctor Brevis. In his youth he joined the Franciscans at Dinant. Though sent to the University of Paris in 1427, he did not begin his commentary on the Sentences before September 1429. Apparently because he refused to take part in the trial of Joan of Arc (February 1431), William left the University after completing only the first three books. He returned to Paris in 1447, becoming licentiate and master of theology in 1448 (cf. Chartularium universitatis Parisiensis, ed. H. Denifle and E. Chatelain [Paris 1889–97] 4:677–678, N. 2625).

Like others from Paris, he may have migrated in 1431 to the new university at Poitiers. He seems to have commented on the Sentences in some university before returning to Paris, and his Vademecum antedates the published text of the fourth book [In 4 sent. 11.2 (ed. 1502) fol. 238vb]. His Liber de anima was probably written during a later sojourn at Poitiers, after 1448. He remarks that during the years 1431 to 1447 he lived at Chateauroux and Dijon, and that he had been in Genoa, Germany, and at the Council of Basel (ibid., fol. 274va, 281vb, 239ra). He served as minister provincial of the Touraine Conventuals from 1449–50 to 1461. In 1462, he was summoned to Rome because of a sermon he had preached, and there became involved in the famous controversy on the Precious Blood. He died soon after and was buried in Aracoeli.

As a scholastic, Vaurouillon is known primarily as a Scotist; he constantly refers to other great scholastics, however, and is a witness to the existence of a Franciscan school. In particular, his Liber de anima is a modernization of the Summa de anima of john of la rochelle, with influences from bonaventure and duns scotus.

See Also: scotism.

Bibliography: i. c. brady, "The Liber de anima of William of Vaurouillon, O.F.M.," Mediaeval Studies 10 (1948) 225–297; 11 (1949) 247–307; "William of Vaurouillon († 1463): A Biographical Essay," in Miscellanea Melchor de Pobladura, v.1 (Rome 1964) 291–315.

[i. c. brady]